On 6 March your 1854 zone time DR position is LAT 23°51.5' N, LONG 73°14.0' W. At that time you observe Polaris with a sextant altitude (hs) of 24°16.5'. The chronometer time of the sight is 11h 52m 40s, and the chronometer error is 01m 56s slow. The index error is 5.0' on the arc, and the height of eye is 43.5 feet (13.3 meters.) What is your latitude by Polaris?

Question

On 6 March your 1854 zone time DR position is LAT 23&deg;51.5' N, LONG 73&deg;14.0' W. At that time you observe Polaris with a sextant altitude (hs) of 24&deg;16.5'. The chronometer time of the sight is 11h 52m 40s, and the chronometer error is 01m 56s slow. The index error is 5.0' on the arc, and the height of eye is 43.5 feet (13.3 meters.) What is your latitude by Polaris?

Accepted Answer

Option B: 23&deg;36.3'N. Correct the sextant altitude for index error, dip, and refraction to obtain Ho. Use the LHA of Aries to determine the Polaris correction from the Nautical Almanac. Applying this correction to the Ho yields the latitude, which is 23°36.3'N, following standard Bowditch procedures for Polaris observations.